Adult children are affected, too.

Typically, when one thinks of offspring adjusting to their parents' divorce, an image of young kids comes to mind. However, adult children are affected just as profoundly, notes Jacqueline Cook, family therapist and associate professor of family medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. "Surprisingly, the general attitude has been Well, you're a grownup, so what's the big deal?' Yet, a part of us always remains a child in relation to our parents, and even if there was conflict in the parental relationship, a divorce comes as more of a shock to the adult child because he or she has been in that family situation longer. For all practical purposes, it is the death of the family you grew up in."

One of the greatest adjustments for adult children is the loss of long-established family rituals, particularly those related to birthdays and holidays. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the divorce, they usually find that their relationship with one or both parents is altered irrevocably. "For many adult children, this is their first experience in dealing with their parents as individuals. Frequently, they are more accustomed to dealing with one parent than the other. The challenge for the adult child is not to be 'triangled' into taking sides, where one...